SCENES OF RUIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 December 1943, Page 3

SCENES OF RUIN

WITH FIRES SPREADING OVER WHOLE CITY

Described by Neutral Correspondent in Berlin

Ik RESULTS OF LATEST BRITISH ATTACK

MORE THAN 2,000 TONS OF BOMBS DROPPED

LONDON, December 30. Over 2,000 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on Berlin when strong forces of British bombers, including all the Australian bombing’ units and Canadian squadrons, made a devastating attack on the German capital last night. An Air communique says the bombing was well concentrated and large fires were seen, with smoke rising more than 15,000 feet. The glow of fires in' Berlin was still seen by the bomber crews when they were 200 miles away on their homeward journey. . The attack was followed up today by the bombing m daylight of targets in Germany and France. Telephone communication between Berlin and Stockholm, a message from the Swedish capital states, was interrupted for about two hours. When the lines were restored a neutral correspondent was allowed to send out a report of the raid. It was the first occasion on which such permission had been granted. He stated that he was writing amid scenes of ruin. Fires were visible everywhere and it was impossible to estimate the extent of the damage. A heavy wind was fanning the flames, which were spreading over the whole city. It was the eighth raid since the Battle of Berlin began on November 18 and the second in which more than 2,000 tons of bombs were dropped. On each of the seven previous raids more than 1000 tons of bombs were dropped. During the same period Mosquitos have made three visits to Berlin. Messages from Stockholm report that great fires are raging in fresh areas in Berlin after the raid. Mosquito bombers also attacked targets in western and central Germany, as well as in Northern France. Mines were laid in enemy waters. Twenty of our bombers are missing from these operations. The announcement of the raid was made shortly before 1 a.m., the earliest hour at which news of a raid on Germany has been released. The Berlin radio stated that large formations of British bombers raided the city under cover of completely impenetrable clouds. The raiders dropped high explosives and incendiaries in densely-populated residential districts. A Stockholm message gave the time of the raid as 7.40 p.m.

NO APPEARANCE

OF ENEMY FIGHTERS DEFENDERS HANDICAPPED BY CLOUD. REPORTS OF BOMBER PILOTS.' (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m. ) RUGBY, December 30. Once again, the German fighter pack failed to intervene against last night’s R.A.F. attack. A majority of the bomber crews reported that they saw no flares or fighters, either along the route or over the target itself. From the moment the bombers crossed the enemy coast, the defences were handicapped by a dense bank of cloud, three miles high in most places, that covered the entire route. Some of the pilots who bombed in the early part of the attack said the German gunners concentrated at first on trying to shoot out the target indicators, which began going down a few minutes before eight o’clock. Later on, when flares had marked out the bombing area and fierce fires were burning, the enemy concentrated on flak over the blaze. One of the last pilots to bomb said: “We could see the glow of fires some time before we reached the capital. When we arrived, we found that the smoke reached a height of over 16,000 feet. Fires, the beams of searchlights, the flares of Pathfinders and the flashes of bursting shells had lit up the sky, and as we went in we could see several other bombers flying in to attack. We did not see one fighter in the while time we were over Berlin. Usually, even when they are late, they manage to get to the target before the end of the attack.”

IN GREAT FORCE

ATTACK BY AMERICAN BOMBERS ON TARGETS IN S.W. GERMANY & FRANCE, HEAVY UNITS ESCORTED . ■ BY FIGHTERS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, December 30. The United States Army Headquarters states: “Heavy bombers, supported by United States and R.A.F. fighters, attacked targets in South-West Germany today. The great air offensive against Northern France was also resumed today. Big formations of Allied machines, comprising heavy bombers, fighter-bombers and fighters, crossed the south-east coast of England, heading for the Pas de Calais area. The attack appeared to be over a wide front. The bomber force took an hour to pass over one south-east coast town. Later in the afternoon fresh formations of heavy bombers crossing the Channel met many waves of four-engined bombers returning from an earlier raid.